Hormone Effects and Menopause
Hair loss can have a devastating effect on a womans confidence, as her hair is very much a part of who she is. Losing an ecxessive amount of hair during menopause is usually a direct result of those pesky hormone levels. The two main hormones involved in hair growth are estrogen and testosterone. Another hormone, androgen, increases as the levels of estrogen decrease.
Normal hair growth is about half an inch per month, although this slows down as you age. Each hair remains on the head for two to six years, and during most of this time it is continually growing and renewing.
Usually there are approximately 100,000 hairs on a person`s head at any one time and it is quite normal to lose 50-100 hairs each day. When washing or brushing your hair you will possibly notice this loss the most. However, in some women undergoing the transition of menopause, the loss will be noticeably greater.
If you are experiencing hair loss and suspect that menopause is responsible, get yourself to your doctor right away just to make sure. There are other possibilities, such as anxiety and stress, trauma and certain medications. It is worth casting your mind back to around three months prior to the beginning of the hair loss, as to what was going on at the time. You may be able identify the events that triggered the loss.
Hair loss in menopausal women tends not be as noticeable as hair loss in men, with the thinning occurring over the entire head, rather than in specific bald spots.
Do keep in mind that not all hair thinning and loss is permanent. There have been cases of menopausal women, experiencing thinning and lost hair who went on to regain the thickness of previously lost hair, once their hormone levels had become balanced.
General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Cause and Treatment
Article by Kathy
15 million Americans and countless others around the globe are affected by anxiety. Without treatment, anxiety can escalate into general anxiety disorder (GAD) and my eventually cause regular panic attacks. So what causes general anxiety disorder and how can you treat it before it escalates?
What is General Anxiety Disorder?Everyone has occasional bouts of anxiety, or anxious thought patterns. In contrast, GAD is a state of periodic and elevated anxiety, often characterized by excessive thinking and dwelling on the "what ifs". As a result, you may feel that there's no way out of the vicious cycle of anxiety and worry. You probably have general anxiety disorder if you have recurring anxiety, as opposed to occasional worry.
What happens when you have GAD?To illustrate how anxiety can escalate into GAD, I'll use the analogy of a water faucet. If the faucet is working properly when turned off, we experience a relaxed home environment - which equates to a relatively anxiety-free existence. However, if the faucet has a leak and is dripping periodically, you could equate this disruptive dripping noise to that of someone with general anxiety.
Over time the pipe remains intact, however the leak gets worse. What was a minor disturbance can escalate into a loud, steady stream, which can no longer be ignored. This situation is how general anxiety disorder feels - it demands your attention. Worse yet, this unstable situation is a breeding ground for the pipe to burst - or in our analogy, for a panic attack to occur.
What causes GAD?General anxiety disorder is caused by recurring anxiety. The major causes of anxiety are:
Repressed emotionsA chemical imbalanceNutritional imbalancePhysical, mental or emotional exhaustion caused by stress
Steps you can take to eliminate General Anxiety DisorderOnce you know the causes of anxiety, you can work to reduce or eliminate anxiety entirely. Here are four steps that you can take to help eliminate GAD:
Educate yourself. There are many excellent holistic books and classes that help reduce or eliminate anxiety by teaching the principles of the mind-body-emotion connection, as well as anti-stress techniques.See a qualified medical professional to get a diagnosis in the event that you have a nutritional or chemical imbalance. You may want to do one or all of the following: a.) a blood screening, b.) a checkup with your physician, and c.) discuss your situation with a psychiatrist (Ph.D.) who understands medications. Your doctor can help you select the appropriate course of action if required.Meet with a therapist or support group, which can assist you by teaching healthy ways to deal with conflict, rather than repressing emotions. Therapy can also help with issues around physical, mental or emotional exhaustion, which are often at the root of anxiety. A therapist can give you strategies that create more life balance, time, and personal boundaries that support optimal health.Exercise as a Stress Reducer: Exercise produces the good hormones, such as endorphins, that keeping your mind and body balanced. Some people benefit from Yoga, a practice that incorporates relaxation techniques into exercise and movement. Whatever you choose, find something that you enjoy so that you stick with it. Many people (myself included) enjoy a daily walk as a great way to unwind and spend time outdoors.
The good news is that both general anxiety disorder and panic attacks respond well to treatment. It takes commitment to educate yourself, identify options and take action, but it is well worth the time and patience when you are rewarded with a better quality of life and a greater sense of peace. We recommend the Panic Away program as a good holistic option for treating panic attacks. You can read my Panic Away Review by Clicking Here.
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder and How To Identify the Symptoms
Article by Elias Rizos
Most people have heard of anxiety disorder, but few know of the less extreme condition known as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). We all have "normal" worries in our lives, but when you have GAD, your worries are out of line with reality and can sometimes hinder you from functioning normally or being able to relax. The worry is also chronic. The general rule of thumb is if a person shows generalized anxiety disorder symptoms more days than they do not in a 6 month period, it is time to seek professional help. There are a wide variety of symptoms, and it is important to understand that each person displays his or her GAD slightly differently.
Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms can be both physical and psychological. The ones in the latter group are common with any kind of anxiety. A person with generalized anxiety disorder will be more irritable than usual. He will have feelings of dread which will prevent him from concentrating on any task. The inability to control anxious thoughts also creates an inability to relax. This person will also have an irrational fear of being rejected. If a person experiences any of these symptoms more often than he does not, he may want to be checked for GAD.
Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms that are physical in nature can be divided into a few categories. First the disorder can affect the muscular system. The anxiety settles in the muscles, causing tension, aches, and soreness. This constant physical discomfort, added to the psychological symptoms, results in the person having difficulty sleeping or staying asleep.
It is also possible for GAD to affect a person's digestive system. The disorder can manifest itself through general stomach pain, as well as nausea and diarrhea. Someone with GAD may also find himself going to the bathroom more frequently. These symptoms alone can easily prevent the person from handling routine daily activities well.
The nervous system can also experience slight malfunction in someone with GAD. Suffering from the disorder can cause trembling, jumpiness, twitching, and an overall restlessness. Excessive sweating and hot flashes can be common as well. These are signs of anyone with a general nervousness, which is essentially what generalized anxiety disorder is.
Lastly, the physical complications of GAD can attack the body's neurological system. The afflicted person will often experience feeling lightheaded and short of breath. These can lead to him feeling exhausted and tiring easily. These can be symptoms of many conditions, but combined with other information, can help someone determine if GAD is a possible issue.
Most victims of generalized anxiety disorder can still go to work and be involved in social situations. As could be expected, it is more commonly found in women than men. If diagnosed, GAD can be treated, mostly with self-help techniques and psychological therapy. In extreme cases medication can help, but is typically used as a last resort. Simple things like eliminating caffeine, exercising more often, and an improved diet can keep the physical symptoms at bay, but will not actually eliminate the disorder itself. If you or someone you know displays a handful of the generalized anxiety disorder symptoms listed above, on a regular and extended basis, it may be time to discuss GAD with a doctor.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Article by Otto Roberto
It is only when we struggle with, or run away from our anxieties, that they gain momentum. We can only be victims of fear if we allow ourselves to be."Do the thing you are afraid to do and the death of fear is certain."- Ralph Waldo Emerson
We have spoken on this web site about panic attacks in detail now I want to tackle the side-effects of panic attacks. Most people who experience frequent panic attacks describe a lingering background generalized anxiety that stays with them long after the panic attack is over. Panic attacks are not spontaneous, random experiences. They are rooted in an underlying general anxiety that acts as the feeding ground for them to occur. Some people claim the attacks come totally out of the blue, but in fact on closer examination the person is usually already feeling an above average level of generalized anxiety before the panic attack begins. It is this generalized anxiety that we are going to tackle in this chapter.
People describe the generalized anxiety like a knot in the stomach accompanied by recurring fearful thoughts. This condition is referred to as Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD. This generalized anxiety disorder is the breeding ground for future panic attacks, and it is important that it be addressed and eliminated so the individual can go about daily business unimpeded by the uncomfortable stress sensations.
If we create a scale of anxiety from 1 to 10, a full blown panic attack would register at 10 and total, blissful relaxation at 0.In a typical day, the average person in a metropolitan area might have a stress/anxiety rating of somewhere between 4 and 5. In comparison, people who experience panic attacks would say they reach the top of the scale (9/10) during the panic attack and do not fully return to feeling normal for quite some time. What is of particular concern is the fact that a large percentage of people never fully return to normal levels.
Many individuals who experience frequent panic attacks often report that they feel themselves to be in a constant state of generalized anxiety, floating between 6 and 7 almost everyday. They wake in the morning with the anxiety and go to bed with the same feeling of unease. It is almost as if their body is stuck on a permanent setting of high anxiety. This constant generalized anxiety makes them feel jumpy, irritable, and physically unwell. The body becomes tense and uncomfortable and the mind obsessed with the anxious sensations. This permanent tension in the mind and body leads to troublesome sensations such as:NauseaDizzinessExhaustionVision problemsCrampsIntrusive thoughtsFeelings of unreality and depressionThis condition (Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD) is frequently connected to the experience of panic attacks.Generalized Anxiety Disorder
If you have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, do not convince yourself that you have a clinical illness. You do not. This disorder does not mean that you have a physical or mental illness. Your brain is fine; your body is fine. If I had editorial authority over what was printed in text book psychology, I would eliminate the use of the term "disorder". The term is over prescribed and misleading. It conjures up ideas of chaos and a total breakdown of mental function. That is not the case. GAD is a behavioral condition that is habitual, and it can be reversed easily by following a series of steps. You can return to a more relaxed level of living if you follow the steps and psychological techniques I am going to outline for you below.
Once people practice the One Move technique for the elimination of the panic attacks as explained in my course, the intense fear surrounding the anxiety collapses in on itself. As the panic attacks become less frequent, the generalized anxiety begins to evaporate as a state of solid calm returns.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Understanding The Causes & Treatment
Article by Karin I Manning
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is one of the more common anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are the term covering several different forms of anxieties such as abnormal, pathological anxiety, fear, phobia and nervous condition, which may come on all of a sudden in someone's life or more gradually over a period of many years and may impair or prevent the pursuing of normal daily routines.
The essential characteristic of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a virtual excessive and uncontrollable worry about everyday things. This constant worry affects daily functioning and can cause significant physical symptoms. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is usually difficult to diagnose for it lacks some of the more dramatic symptoms, like unprovoked panic attacks, that are seen with other anxiety disorders.
To be able to diagnose Generalized Anxiety Disorder, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms must be present more days than not for at least six months. The diagnostic criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms are:
Excessive anxiety and worry (real apprehension), occurring more days than not for a period of at least 6 months, about numerous events or activities in a person's life. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder sufferer finds it hard to control the worry.
The anxiety and worry are always associated with three or more of the following six generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, with at least some generalized anxiety disorder symptoms present for more than 6 months and in most days than not (at least one is required for children):
Restless or feeling like you're on the edge or tense;being easily fatigues;having difficulty concentrating or your mind going blank;being irritable;have tense muscles;suffering from insomnia and having trouble staying asleep;having difficulty swallowing;trembling a lot;sweating a lot;feeling very light headed;suffering from nausea; feeling a shortness of breath;
The focus of the person's anxiety and worry is not limited to being embarrassed in public, being contaminated in some way, putting on weight, having many physical complaints, suffering from a serious illness. Also, the worry and anxiety don't occur exclusively during a post traumatic stress disorder.
The symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder cause significant impairment and distress to the sufferer's social, occupational or other critical areas in their life. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder is not due to the direct physiological effect of such substances such as alcohol and drugs and doesn't occur just during a mood disorder, psychotic disorder or development disorder.
Sufferers of Generalized Anxiety Disorder can still function socially and keep a job when their anxiety level is mild. However, this doesn't mean that they are coping with the simplest daily activities in their lives. Generalized Anxiety Disorder comes on slowly and can occur at any age but the greatest risk of onset is between childhood and middle age.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is most commonly treated with cognitive-behavioural therapy or Generalized Anxiety Disorder medication. Several Generalized Anxiety Disorder drugs are used to treat anxiety disorders and these include: benzodiazepines and antidepressants, and Quetiapine, just to name a few.
How to increase the general awareness of anxiety disorders
Article by Joe Keny
As with any mental health problem, the first step in efforts to raise awareness for general anxiety disorder should remove the stigma that keeps the people speak to others about it and remove misunderstandings. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) has been an effective advocacy organization and a bridge for professionals and consumers since 1980. Their website and publications are an asset to help the public awareness efforts to increase awareness.
General Anxiety Disorder
go public about the presence of anxiety disorder in general own life or the life of a loved one. People who overcome the initial feeling of stigma and shame of being affected by a disorder of this kind often find that they can be particularly effective in promoting awareness of the disease.
work with your library local library or to create a special table or the current literature titles in general anxiety disorder. Ask them to give prominent placement to help provide answers to people who may be suffering from general anxiety disorder, and to help educate the general public that.
talk about general anxiety disorder with professionals who can cope with the illness in the workplace, such as teachers, police and health professionals to raise awareness and sensitivity.
Contact the Anxiety Disorders Association of America to become a member and informed part in the campaigns to build public awareness of the general anxiety disorder (see Resources below ).
Subscribe online to the ADAA newsletter to educate you about the disorder general anxiety, and keep up to date with research on the disorder. Although there is no single genetic test to determine the causes and trends toward general anxiety disorder, research is underway in the search for such a test.
deliver a clear message, where possible that the general anxiety disorder, is a real and very serious disease that can be treated successfully.
a donation to the ADAA's efforts to support research on anxiety disorders in general and The options available for treating them.
Order Delivery blue "Triumph" bracelets ADAA's website so that you can use and give to others to help raise awareness of anxiety disorder general, and to eliminate any discussion of the stigma.
Use your "victory" as a conversation starter bracelet for multiplying the number of people speaking about general anxiety disorder.
This article is written by Article Marketing.
What General Anxiety Disorder – Gad?
Article by Krishan Bakhru
General Anxiety Disorder or GAD as it is known is another type of anxiety disorder. It affects roughly 4 - 5 million people of the American population alone. If you suffer from General Anxiety Disorder symptoms can include but are not limited to those also suffered by panic disorder victims. It has also been found that General Anxiety Disorder affects women proportionally more that it does men.
General Anxiety Disorder symptoms are many and vary from person to person. There are however a few symptoms that are the same across the board for most people and which generally characterize their lives and lifestyles.
One such symptom of General Anxiety Disorder is chronic and incessant worrying. Although worry is a natural emotion and most of us experience it from time to time in our daily lives, for the General Anxiety Disorder sufferer their worry is chronic and most times pathological. Most times the chronic worrier will let their worries overtake their world and will sometimes let it go so far as to incapacitate them in their daily lives.
By this, I don't mean that General Anxiety Disorder sufferers have a choice over whether or not they worry ceaselessly, on the contrary the person might be aware that they're worrying needlessly but be unable to stop it or help themselves.
By the same token General Anxiety Disorder symptoms can bring on insomnia, panic attacks and depression. Intense anxiety and fear are also quite common to General Anxiety Disorder symptoms.
Other more physical, General Anxiety Disorder symptoms include headaches, diarrhea and nausea, lightheadedness, trembling or twitching. A palpitating or pounding heart, shortness of breath and trouble concentrating are also General Anxiety Disorder symptoms that can occur.
Irritability and mood swings, constant tension coupled with the inability to relax are all General Anxiety Disorder symptoms, and are all contributing features to other General Anxiety Disorder symptoms as well.
This vicious cycle can sometimes take its toll not only on the General Anxiety Disorder sufferer but also on the family of the General Anxiety Disorder sufferer. The pressures of living with a person who suffers from General Anxiety Disorder, the inability to cope with the persistent and sometimes inconsequential worrying, the constant depression and mood swings can all take their toll. Most families don't survive too well if someone within the family suffers from General Anxiety Disorder symptoms.
That's why medical attention should be sought as soon as possible to alleviate your symptoms. General Anxiety Disorder can be cured and you should know this. Treatment methods are readily available to you and it's merely a matter of finding the courage to go out and find it. Rest assured that your doctor or therapist can help you in alleviating your General Anxiety Disorder symptoms properly and it will only take a little time and patience and will power on your part to cure yourself.
Premature ejaculation, performance anxiety: the Italians and the great rush to bed
According to the SIA (Italian Society of Andrology) 4 million Italian men aged between 20 and 50 years suffered from premature ejaculation with serious repercussions on the couple's life and intimacy. According to research conducted in these cases the 'orgasm is reached within one minute, sometimes within 30 seconds while the average time that is considered normal is around 4-7 minutes. Technically, when you define premature ejaculation occurs before the man you want, therefore outside its control.
Of course not always the brevity of coitus is a sign of the disorder, there are moments in life when it is physiological that the phenomenon occurs, for example, is common in young people in their early experiences and can occur due to a prolonged period of sexual abstinence. It can also distinguish different types of premature ejaculation: first, may be primary, when the person has always been of this disorder at an early experience without ever being able to reach orgasm when you want and secondary when the disorder occurs as a result of a period of normal operation. It might also be situational or generalized, for instance, can only occur with a fixed partner and not in other situations and / or with other partners (a good sex therapist can suggest methods other than treason to assess whether this is the case!). Secondary premature ejaculation may be a symptom of some disorders of the urogenital or nervous system or be caused by certain medications or drugs
To explain the prematurity were examined several hypotheses, each with its own foundation. In some cases may be due to psychological causes such as problems related to the couple lived, or d anxiety too high relative to sexuality (the so-called performance anxiety), in others by not recognizing the so-called point of no return that is then of intercourse after which the ejaculation can no longer be controlled, it can also depend on a deficit is serotonin, or an organic problem, as mentioned above, it follows that each case must be examined carefully by a specialist, indicating diagnosis. Most scholars agree is a disorder solved although very complex and delicate.
The repercussions within the couple is considerable and can lead to a real crisis, it is very difficult for a man who suffers from premature ejaculation to be able to ensure good quality of inner life to his mate who may feel devalued as a woman. Moreover, even the man could begin to mature sense of guilt and feelings of inadequacy towards himself and his partner. For this reason, the problem will not go completely overlooked and must be addressed with the help of a specialist. Fundamental importance that both partners are involved in the process of care (especially if approaches to psycho-sexual) because the disorder is also a problem as a couple and not just an individual problem.